The present invention is energy related, for the purpose of fuel conservation. It automatically controls, as one part and only augmentally so, the hand lever for setting engine power and further controls, as one part, the effective drive reduction ratio of a power train having a continuously variable or step change transmission, such as broadly used in agricultural and nonagricultural vehicles and machinery, especially an agricultural tractor.
The invention specifically utilizes an engine and transmission, dual function monitor/control microprocessor for a variable ratio power train drive, primarily effective to automatically adjust both the transmission ratio and the power setting so that engine power at all levels is produced at a brake specific fuel consumption (BSFC) of substantially minimum pounds (or Kg) of fuel per horsepower hour (or KWH). The power hand lever or handle may move as a visible indication of the power setting being made automatically, but the companion transmission output speed lever has no power drive connection to reset it and hence remains in its hand-set positions.
As background thereto, the material information includes but is not limited to U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,952,829, 4,180,979, 4,091,617, 4,158,290, and especially the (U.S.) Society of Automotive Engineers Paper No. 780465 relating to BSFC and also U.S. Pat. No. 3,914,938.